Crews began taking down the iconic neon sign at Batavia Downs Monday morning.

The steel sign that's been sitting on top of the Downs since 1954 is coming down in pieces and will take whole day to remove.

The new sign made of aluminum will be lit with L.E.D lights and will look brighter and be more evenly lit than the old one.

The $138,000 sign is the first piece in the multi-million dollar expansion that has begun at Batavia Downs.

President and CEO of Batavia Downs Casino Michael Kane said today is a very exciting day.

“looking back you know my father came here many times and that’s the sign that greeted him when he came and so there is some bitter sweet feelings toward it, but within a few days I wont be able to tell the difference when I pull in so I think that that’s a temporary feeling,” said Kane.

Kane said the new sign will save Batavia Downs money in energy and repair costs and all of the letters except for the B and D in the historic neon sign will be donated to local organizations for preservation.